As many of our readers already know, I love FastRawViewer and I have now made it my default software for culling images before importing them into Lightroom. This not only saves me a lot of time and space, but also streamlines the import process and only leaves images that I want to work on. I have already written a detailed review of FastRawViewer, but since publishing the review, the developers of the software have already addressed all of my personal requests in version 1.1, most notably a proper folder view where I can click on different folders and see thumbnails of RAW files that I am about to view. In addition, OpenGL and DirectX support have also been added, so the software can now properly take advantage of GPU acceleration, which is great! On top of all this, I have just been notified that FastRawViewer is currently on sale for $14.99 (regular price is $19.99), which is a great price for this killer software. After upgrading today and running through a number of images from my recent trip to California, I am happy to say that it seems rock solid and very fast – something I have previously praised a number of times before.

Another big announcement from last week was Zeiss Batis 25mm f/2 and 85mm f/1.8 lenses for the Sony FE mount. Compared to Zeiss Loxia lenses, the new Batis line offers autofocus capability and has a similar focus-by-wire motor as in native Sony/Zeiss lenses. The exterior look of the lenses appears to be similar to the high-end Zeiss Otus lenses, but there is one major difference – the focus scale on the lens is OLED, the first-ever lens to feature it. While I am personally not as excited about the 25mm f/2 lens due to the fact that Sony has already announced the Sony FE 28mm f/2 lens (which you can convert to either a 16mm or a 21mm lens with a conversion lens), the 85mm f/1.8 is something that I cannot wait to try out. Sony has had a major hole in its lens line with the lack of a fast 85mm prime, so the new AF-capable Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8 will definitely satisfy many portrait photographers out there. With its $1,199 price tag and Zeiss quality, this will surely be a popular choice among Sony shooters (the 25mm f/2 will sell for $100 more). Let’s take a closer look at these lenses.

Having been out of town for a few weeks, I am just catching up with some major news, so I decided to post some announcements that I consider to be newsworthy. In this particular case, it is the announcement of the Pentax K-3 II, which I believe deserves a spotlight for the innovation it brings. Sporting in-body image stabilization, high-resolution sensor shift mode, star tracking, anti-aliasing filter simulator, built-in GPS and durable construction, the K-3 II brings some great innovative features which we have never seen on a DSLR before. Looking at this powerful APS-C camera, I am excited to see what Pentax will do with its upcoming full-frame camera. And I hope that both Nikon and Canon are taking notes from Pentax, because such innovation is much needed in the DSLR market to keep it healthy, now that the mirrorless market is steadily growing.

Today adobe rolled out the much anticipated update to its Lightroom photo management and editing software. Two new versions of Lightroom are immediately available for both standalone and Creative Cloud subscribers. Lightroom 6 will be offered as an update to Lightroom 5 for perpetual users (both regular and upgrade licenses are already available) and those who subscribe to the Creative Cloud will get a cloud-specific version called Lightroom CC (which in its core is the same as Lightroom 6). This update is a rather significant one, because it brings very important and much-needed performance improvements, new camera / lens support and a few new notable features. Let’s discuss those in more detail now.

Today is a big day for Fuji, because the company has just announced its first wide angle weather resistant prime lens, the Fujinon XF 16mm f/1.4 R WR. This is a pretty significant milestone for Fuji, because the lens is equivalent to a 24mm lens in terms of field of view on full-frame, which is a very popular focal length for many different types of photography such as landscapes, architecture and environmental portraiture. Being a fast f/1.4 lens, it is also a great candidate for low-light photography. On top of that, Fuji made this lens weather resistant to withstand both dust and moisture, so it will couple greatly with the Fuji X-T1 and future weather-sealed cameras.

Remember the lens rebates Nikon announced a while ago? One of the few and far-between times when you can get an instant rebate on certain lenses without having to buy a DSLR camera, too. Unfortunately, these rebates are coming to an end and will not be extended. If you are still weighing your options, do hurry as the offer is only valid till the 28th of March (Sunday). It’s the same situation with Canon rebates, too.

The newly introduced and long anticipated Canon 5DS and 5DS R caused quite the stir – after all, both cameras feature no less than 50 megapixels. Even the 36 megapixel Nikon D810 is too much for many, so it is not surprising that the big numbers associated with the two new Canon models divide opinion. We at Photography Life were rather impressed by the image samples, though, and believe both the 5DS and 5DS R are bound to be popular. And both are now available for pre-order.

Through my relationship with the good folks at Amplis Canada, Canadian readers here at Photography Life, as well as on my photography blog, can now take advantage of a special 5% discount when they purchase from the Amplis Store.

My New Year’s resolution not to buy any new cameras or lenses this year is in serious jeopardy. Longtime friend of Photography Life Mark Fagan alerted me to this MEGADEAL. Yes – Hasselblad has sliced prices 70% on selected models, er I mean model. For those of you new to photography, Hasselblad is one of the most revered names in photography. Put it this way, people who can’t afford Hassies buy Leicas to impress their friends.

Someone at Sony must be finally realizing cameras don’t make a system. As numerous and capable (crippled RAW format notwithstanding) the A7-series cameras are, the real pull of any system is the lens lineup. And so the Japanese manufacturer has announced four new FE lenses for full-frame mirrorless cameras. It is very much worth noting that just one of the lenses is a superzoom with a disappointingly slow aperture of f/6.3 at the long end – the other three are prime lenses of 28mm, 35mm and 90mm focal lengths. On top of that, Sony has also introduced two new lens converters, one for wider angle of view, the other – for fisheye effect. Let’s take a closer look at the new products.